


Into The Tiger's Den

by Birdlad (Argothia)



Series: Still Breathing [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Assassins, Infiltration, Minor Original Character(s), Tim Drake is Alvin Draper
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:07:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25462933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Argothia/pseuds/Birdlad
Summary: Five months after being sent too far back in time, Alvin is finally in position to enact the first stage of his plan. Infiltrating the League of Assassins will be no easy feat though and worse once he's in he'll have an even sharper mind to contend with, Talia al Ghul does not fool easily after all.Meanwhile, in the aftermath of another catastrophe for the family, Batman begins to push his family away in an attempt to protect them.
Series: Still Breathing [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1323848
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41





	Into The Tiger's Den

**Author's Note:**

> I've been fussing over this part of the story for _months_ , but I finally had a bit of a breakthrough and I think I've got a good idea of how to get where I'm going now. All writers are raindrops on a window trying to find the path of least resistance to the bottom.

It’s cold. Not really something that Alvin thought would bother him, but in this moment it commands his attention, distracting him from the task before him as he waits. He sighs and his breath forms a mist that disappears as quickly as it took shape. Never thought he’d miss having a cape. It was good for something, even if he did hate the fact that pretty much everybody dragged him around by it. Fun times.

He’s come so far in the past five months, working up to this moment. Bruce would be disappointed in him for the way he’s used Batman’s teachings lately but Bruce would’ve been disappointed in him for choosing to go back in time at all, what Alvin gets up to in the interests of saving the family isn’t bound by Bruce’s opinions anymore. Besides, there’s no point worrying about that now, he’ll be disappointing Bruce and probably everyone he’s ever known a lot more before the year’s out. Hell, before the night’s out probably. But if that’s what it takes, then that’s what it takes.

Something stirs in the undergrowth below him. Alvin tenses, leaning out just a little further from his perch careful not to dislodge any of the snow further out on the branch. He watches intently for a few moments more until just as he’s starting to think it was an animal and his target’s running late, the undergrowth parts and a person dressed all in black wearing a mask and goggles steps into view. About damn time. Operation: Piss Off Ra’s al Ghul is a go.

Without a sound he drops out of the tree right on top of his target. Quick as he can he trades clothes with the assassin and ties him to the tree. Not the most ideal of situations but it’ll do. He doesn’t have time to think of anything better and if nothing else at least the guy can be grateful that Alvin didn’t leave him next to naked and unconscious in the cold. The clothes themselves fit nicely, thankfully, Alvin had to wait for days before he found an assassin who looked to be the right size and he’s none to happy to know that the kid is probably fourteen at most. Oh well, no use grumbling about lost inches now. He blames the coffee though.

To make up for some of the time he lost trading clothes with his target, Alvin runs most of the way through the woods only slowing when he knows he’s got the time. Leisurely he makes his way through the last stretch of undergrowth, then finally out into the clearing where the local base of the League of Assassin’s lies. It’s not a very large structure above ground, but Alvin knows he’s walking over a decent sized complex hidden just beneath the surface. A guard stands just to one side of the front door to the small house that serves as cover for the base, watching Alvin approach. This is the most nerve wracking part of this plan. He’s been counting off the minutes since he left his target in the snow. If he’s too early the guard will probably figure him out pretty quick, too late and he risks the next patrol finding his unfortunate target before he can get anything done.

Alvin keeps his breathing and movements steady, by his calculations he’s right on time. The guard scrutinizes him for a long moment as he approaches. She makes a slight gesture with her hand. Asking if he saw anything on his route. He shakes his head. She nods and waves him on. Worked like a charm.

Without pausing he walks through the door and down the steps into the base itself. He takes some time to look as though he’s looking for something in front of some cameras, not for the person on security, but for the recording, better not to look like he knows exactly where he’s going when the tape gets reviewed later. If his meddling with time didn’t somehow change the schematics of this place from the ones he memorized when he was Robin, then his goal should be… Ah, perfect. He takes a turn down a random hallway then doubles back and this time makes sure he isn’t caught on any camera. With that done he reaches out and knocks on the door of the security room, withdrawing his hand into the shadows as quickly as he can. A moment later the very confused looking guard pokes his head out and Alvin promptly hits him in the side of the head with the butt of the gun he stole along with his clothes. Easy.

Now to do what he does best; be better at tech than everyone Ra’s has ever hired ever. 

Outside, he knows, the next patrol is about to discover the assassin Alvin left in snow, they’ll raise the alarm fast if he doesn’t shut down their comms now. So he does as discretely as possible, nobody should know their communications have been cut until he wants them to.

From there he goes deeper into the system until he finds a route to turning off the power completely. Taking a detour or two along the way for some essentials. On one camera he can already see the latest patrol running up to the door guard, he’s been found out, but too bad he’s had plenty of time. He cuts power to everything but the cameras, if all goes well they’ll think he left the cameras on to drive home the message he’s about to send, really though he’s just sending in a video resume. All a part of the plan.

He watches as the door guard gathers a few people to her and in a moment it’s clear that she’s heading for the security room. Smart. He’ll have to watch out for her in the next phase, speaking of which, about time he got started on part two of this plan. He climbs up on the console, opens a vent, hoists himself up inside and closes it expertly behind him. This complex is one of the older ones, built before Ra’s or Talia ever encountered Batman. They haven’t bothered changing anything here because it’s unlikely Bruce would ever take an interest in it. So all the vents are still large enough for a person to crawl through.

Time to become the boogeyman.

– – –

The League assassins are well trained. Skilled in the art of killing, capable of fighting under any conditions, and willing to do anything to succeed in their mission.

But even they are not immune to fear.

Alvin, perhaps better than most, knows how to terrify them. Anyone can become unnerved by the dark when up against an enemy that wears that same darkness like a cloak. This is something Alvin’s learned to use to his advantage of course, fear of what your fighting leads to mistakes. 

Alvin is of course no stranger to fighting in conditions where he can’t see at all, so taking down enemies who are carrying flashlights and other sources of light in an attempt to even see him is a piece of cake. There are a few who are capable of fighting in the dark and a few more who have equipment, whether thermal or infrared, that allow them to see him. Hardly more than a few though. It could’ve been a lot more trouble if shutting off the power didn’t mean that he’d ensured that they couldn’t open the locks on their supply vaults.

Sure if he’d given them the time they would’ve been able to get in manually, but he’d had no intention of giving them that time. Most of them go down fast and hard. But as their numbers dwindle, Alvin comes across two who are carrying a transceiver. Someone it seems had thought ahead for the power going out. He’s willing to bet he knows which of them it was too. The pair are picking their way towards the supply vaults like a few before them but they’re much more on their guard. Walking almost back to back shining flashlights into any places they hear a noise. These two might be a tad more difficult to take down.

When they come across an assassin that Alvin had already defeated they start swearing and report into their transceiver in Russian. Apparently that man had been pivotal to their plan. Too bad he’s far too unconscious to be of any help. Alvin can hear a feminine voice respond with disappointment, he assumes it’s probably the door guard as he hasn’t yet come across her. She orders them to proceed to the vault and that they shouldn’t linger too long.

Her warning comes a little too late. Alvin had started moving as soon as they started paying more attention to the radio than to their surroundings. As she finishes speaking he kicks the grate above the pair open and drops down straight onto the shoulders of one of them. He uses his weight and a little momentum to toss the first assassin into his companion.

He’s back on his feet before either of them can gather their wits. They scramble for their guns for any weapon they can get a hold of, but Alvin’s faster. He swipes a knife off the unconscious assassin and jabs it into the closest assassin’s arm, quickly removing it as he spins into a kick to the other assassin’s face. Ducking under a slash from one the injured assassin’s knife he elbows the man in the crotch and then easily sweeps his legs out from under him. That’s one down.

Out of the corner of his eye he sees the second assassin finally wrestle his gun out and take aim. Alvin dodges back out of the glow of the man’s flashlight. Staying just out of sight and moving quickly Alvin ensures that the assassin can’t aim well enough to hit him. Flashes from the gunfire light up the room in brief intervals, bullets whizzing by their mark and coming to rest in the walls, floor, and finally in the body of the assassin Alvin had knocked out earlier.

The shock of hitting a friendly must get to the assassin because he hesitates for just a moment after that and just a moment is all Alvin needs. He moves in from the side, knocking the gun and flashlight from the assassin’s hands. Swinging around behind the man Alvin locks an arm around his neck and after that it’s only a few moments before it’s over.

Alvin sits in the dark catching his breath while the voice of the door guard demands answers from her fallen subordinates. If this were the League Alvin knew from his original timeline – the Ra’s he knew – he never would’ve made it this far and if he were to try any of this again he knows Ra’s would adjust and Alvin wouldn’t survive a second attempt. After all, as much as he hates the man, Alvin will never deny that Ra’s is good at what he does. Right now though he’s in the unique position of holding all the cards. All the months of playing cat and mouse with lackeys, all the sacrifices he’s had to make, and it all amounts to this.

Bait for a really dangerous fish.

Picking up the radio, Alvin takes a deep breath, and speaks into it, “I’m afraid they can’t come to the phone right now, can I take a message?”

There’s a beat of silence then the woman speaks in a thick russian accent, “You think yourself very funny, I see, little shadow, but when I catch you I swear--”

“Let’s not go making promises we can’t keep.” Alvin cuts off what was sure to be a most gruesome threat. “We could play this game all night, but I’ve made my point already. You have what? Two? Three? More on your side and you’re not rash enough to believe that they’ll be any harder for me to take down than the last thirty.”

“…And you are not stupid enough to come hunting me when I know you are coming,” she responds, a bit more sedate now. “So it is to be a stalemate.”

Alvin laughs ruefully. “Not quite. As I said, I don’t think I need to press onwards to get my point across. You know now what happens when I’m crossed and if you’d be kind enough to pass that message on to the Demon’s Head, I’d be most obliged.”

“What a bold little shadow you are,” she says. “To know who it is you are trifling with and still do such things. I do not know if you are a fool or simply crazy.”

With a grin, Alvin answers, “Well, I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.”

He sets the transceiver down and gets to his feet. Time to blow this joint. He flips the hood of his stolen assassin uniform up over his head and makes for the exit. It’ll be sometime before they get the power back on, so by the time Ra’s gets his message Alvin will be long gone. Time to see if he gets a bite or if he’ll get bitten.

– – –

The Demon’s Head is unreadable in this moment. His eyes flickering from screen to screen as he watches the events of the previous night unfold. One finger casually tapping the side of his wine glass as if he were deep in thought, but what his thoughts are is unknowable. He could be enraged at his ninjas for failing to defeat one intruder who looks to be little more than a teenager or perhaps he is angered at the nerve of this intruder for attempting this at all. Perhaps he is planning revenge or… possibly – just possibly – he is intrigued.

Rurik does not know. He is only relaying what was told to him by the survivors.

“How long in total?” The master asks abruptly.

Caught off guard at being addressed, Rurik can only question, “My lord?”

The master’s eyes turn towards him for a moment, fixing him with the sickly green gaze. “In total, how long did it take him to accomplish these feats. From the moment he attacked the patrol to the moment he defeated the last operative?”

Rurik answers obediently. “Two hours, twenty-five minutes, and thirteen seconds, my lord.”

“How many casualties?”

“Of the thirty-five operatives in the base… two.” That is quite astonishing, considering the damage that had been done to them. Twisted limbs, broken bones, some of them will likely be killed anyway considering they’re now useless to the League, but the intruder himself had hardly killed anyone at all.

“I see.” The master leans back in his chair watching the battles as they loop on the screens before him. There is silence for quite some time, then once more the master speaks, “He is fascinatingly skilled for one so young. I do wonder though… what is he planning…”

It would be unwise to question without an invitation to do so, so Rurik remains quiet in his wonder about the master’s words.

“Every move is calculated far beyond what the reports on him have been.” The master mutters, almost as if to himself. “His skills rival the detective. Perhaps not as refined… but significant in fashion and… Just how could he have learned that?”

Rurik blinks and directs his own attention to the screens. One of the attacks that the strange intruder pulls off is eerily familiar, it is a League killing technique, though it has been modified to be less lethal there can be no doubt. This man fights as though he were trained alongside members of the League of Assassin’s.

“Hm…” The master sets his wine glass aside. “What information do we have on this young man?”

That question has only invited more disappointing news. “Not much I fear.”

“Tell me all that you have uncovered.” The master responds, unbothered.

“Unfortunately we have discovered nothing about his origins,” Rurik begins. “All we are certain of is that he began operating as a mercenary in Ethiopia as recently as May of this year.”

Images of the young man they had acquired from around that time appear on one of the screens. His hair had been shorter at the time and his clothing had been somewhat out of place. He had looked better suited to playing video games in a college dorm room than mercenary work, but that had only belied how dangerous he was and is.

On that thought Rurik continues, “It’s there where he accepted a job removing a local criminal from a city. He took this quite literally it seems, as he kidnapped the man took him out into the wilderness with no method of returning to civilization and abandoned him.”

This information earns a raised eyebrow from the master, he seems to be almost amused by it.

“Apparently the man was found before he died, but he had been transported over the border into Somalia. The intruder performed similar jobs as he traveled northeast to Russia, a few of them were assassinations as well. His first encounter with the League was in stealing a kill from one of our top assassins. From there he continued to steal kills or otherwise inhibit our work, until taking out an operative assigned to tail him. After that we were considering killing him in retaliation, but… he struck first with this attack.”

The report appears on cue, but the master seems more interested in the map indicating the intruder’s path from Ethiopia. “By what method did he travel from Ethiopia to Russia?”

“We are uncertain, my lord,” Rurik admits. “Most reports indicate that when he did not travel on foot he relied on hitchhiking or on public transport when he could acquire it.”

Placing a hand to his chin, the master explains, “He travels for nearly five months on a near straight trajectory. His skill in planning may be excellent, but I do believe he failed to account for what this would make evident. It is obvious that he was aiming for that base from the start.”

“M-my lord?” Rurik is dumbfounded by this thought. It is not possible, is it? For a random child who has never been encountered by the League before to not only have wiped out one of their bases but to have known about its location for so long, it is unthinkable. What vendetta could he have against them to warrant such action.

Abruptly the master smiles, an expression that sends a chill down Rurik’s spine. “Find him. With all haste.”

“Yes, my lord.” Rurik answers. “…and when we find him?”

“Bring him to me.” The master closes his eyes and picks up his wine glass once more as he continues, “I would be remiss not to welcome such a promising recruit personally.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes? Notes.
> 
> 1) Rurik! He's actually a reworking of an older oc, who was rather a favorite of mine, though he wasn't Russian initially, but it fits into the story well so Russian he is.  
> 2) The door guard's name is Oxana, she's a beast.  
> 3) The two casualties were the guy Alvin stabbed in the fight and the one the other assassin accidentally shot.


End file.
